For any library that invests in IGI Global's InfoSci-Books and/or InfoSci-Journals databases, IGI Global will match the library’s investment with a fund of equal value to go toward subsidizing the OA APCs for their faculty patrons when their work is submitted/accepted under OA into an IGI Global journal.

Subscribe to the Latest Research Through IGI Global's InfoSci-OnDemand Plus

InfoSci®-OnDemand Plus, a subscription-based service, provides researchers the ability to access full-text content from over 100,000+ peer-reviewed book chapters and 25,000+ scholarly journal articles that spans across 350+ topics in 11 core subjects. Users can select articles or chapters that meet their interests and gain access to the full content permanently in their personal online InfoSci-OnDemand Plus library.

Purchase the Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Fourth Edition

and Receive Complimentary E-Books of Previous Editions

When ordering directly through IGI Global's Online Bookstore, receive the complimentary e-books for the first, second, and third editions with the purchase of the Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, Fourth Edition e-book.

Create a Free IGI Global Library Account to Receive a 25% Discount on All Purchases

Exclusive benefits include one-click shopping, flexible payment options, free COUNTER 5 reports and MARC records, and a 25% discount on single all titles, as well as the award-winning InfoSci®-Databases.

MLA

St. Amant, Kirk. "The Role of Rhetoric in Localization and Offshoring." Handbook of Research on Innovations in Database Technologies and Applications: Current and Future Trends. IGI Global, 2009. 844-851. Web. 25 May. 2019. doi:10.4018/978-1-60566-242-8.ch089

APA

St. Amant, K. (2009). The Role of Rhetoric in Localization and Offshoring. In V. Ferraggine, J. Doorn, & L. Rivero (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Innovations in Database Technologies and Applications: Current and Future Trends (pp. 844-851). Hershey, PA: IGI Global. doi:10.4018/978-1-60566-242-8.ch089

Chicago

St. Amant, Kirk. "The Role of Rhetoric in Localization and Offshoring." In Handbook of Research on Innovations in Database Technologies and Applications: Current and Future Trends, ed. Viviana E. Ferraggine, Jorge Horacio Doorn and Laura C. Rivero, 844-851 (2009), accessed May 25, 2019. doi:10.4018/978-1-60566-242-8.ch089

Abstract

Globalization is increasingly integrating the world’s economies and societies. Now, products created in one nation are often marketed to a range of international consumers. Similarly, the rapid diffusion of online media has facilitated cross-border interactions on social and professional levels. Differing cultural expectations, however, can cause miscommunications within this discourse paradigm. Localization – customizing a communiqué to meet cultural expectations – has thus become an important aspect of today’s global economy. This essay examines localization in offshoring practices that could affect database creation and maintenance.

Background

To understand localization, one must understand how rhetoric, or the way in which information is presented, can vary along cultural lines. Each culture has a set of rhetorical expectations, or conditions, for how to convey ideas effectively (Kaplan, 2001; Woolever, 2001). The more closely a message meets the rhetorical expectations of a cultural group, the more likely members of that group will consider that message credible or usable (Bliss, 2001). If one does not meet a culture’s rhetorical expectations, then the related group is likely to view a message as non-credible and will be less inclined to consider it. Moreover, if non-credible messages are associated with a particular product, audiences might consider that item as not worth purchasing (Ulijn & Strother, 1995).

Rhetoric and Verbal Communication

Differing rhetorical expectations means information considered credible by one cultural group might be deemed suspect or unusable by another (Woolever, 2001; Ulijn & St.Amant, 2000). Language is perhaps the most obvious factor related to credibility in cross-cultural exchanges. That is, if one wishes to develop informative materials for another culture, then concepts must be presented in the language used by that group. (If one wishes to target information for an audience in France, one should use the French language when presenting ideas.)

Using the correct language, however, is often not enough, for cultural groups can have different norms for how ideas should be expressed within a language (Ulijn, 1996; Kaplan, 2001; Driskill, 1996). These expectations often reflect deep-seated values or societal rules (Neuliep, 2000; Ferraro, 2002). It is thus often difficult for the members of one culture to anticipate the rhetorical expectations another cultural group associates with credible presentations.

These cultural-rhetorical differences, moreover, can assume a variety of forms. Some cultures tend to prefer more linear/focused presentations in which connections between ideas and conclusions are explicitly stated (Campbell, 1998; Ulijn & St.Amant, 2000). Other cultures, however, might prefer more indirect presentations in which individuals seem to go off on tangents or avoid directly stating facts or conclusions (Woolever, 2001; Ulijn & St.Amant, 2000; Campbell, 1998). These variations can cause misperceptions or confusion when different cultural groups interact. As Ulijn and St.Amant (2000) note, many Western cultures prefer a more direct presentation of information. In contrast, many Eastern cultures use a more indirect approach when sharing ideas. As a result, the indirect style used by Eastern cultures is often viewed as evasive or dishonest by Westerners who expect presenters to “get to the point.” Conversely, many Easterners tend to view the direct presentation style of Western cultures as rude, for by directly stating information (stating the obvious), an individual is patronizing the audience. In such cases, failing to address the rhetorical expectations of the “other” culture can undermine the credibility of persons interacting in cross-cultural exchanges.